OIL PALM DEVELOPS TALASEA DISTRICT OF WEST NEW BRITAIN PROVINCE

Talasea District is the home of Oil Palm in West New Britain Province. Oil Palm has been in the district for more than 42 years and currently this cash crop occupies more than 80% of the land mass of the District.

GOVERNOR MANEKE LOOKS INTO OIL PALM TO DEVELOP TALASEA DISTRICT

By KEVINDAYONGA | March 06, 2020.

Talasea District is currently the biggest and perhaps the largest in the country having more than 185,000 people within a land mass of approximately 7,708 square kilometres including three island communities of Bali, Vitu Island in the Bali/Vitu LLG and the Lolobou island in the East Nakanani Local Level Government.

Oil Palm has brought about many changes to the communities especially road infrastructure and other community service programs. During the officially launching of the District Plan and Cocoa Resource Centre in Kapore, Governor Francis Galia Maneke acknowledged the support of the Oil Palm developers.

‘’ I want to acknowledge New Britain Palm Oil Limited and Hargy Oil Palm limited for their part in developing Talasea District. The land settlement scheme (LSS) by the government, the Village Oil Palm (VOP) scheme and the mini estate concept has seen many of our local people directly engaged and owning oil palm which has empowered them to venture into other forms of business.

However, there are many more people whom I believe are missing out on the benefits this cash crop can bring to them and therefore it is important that the 42-year-old Oil Palm Industry Corporation (OPIC) Act must be immediately reviewed to cater for our aspirations and changes and allow for greater local content in this fastest growing industry’’.

The governor said the relationship between leadership and good governance, service delivery and development are crisscrossed and therefore it is his desire to improve in this area.

‘’ Quality leadership and good governance must be present in everything we do if we are to archive tangible results. We need to account for and put in place systems that will support decision-making and this plan is one of them’’.

‘’We continue with infrastructures maintenance work and new development to promote economic growth and deliver basic health, education and administrative services to our people. We have set specific targets to be archived by 2022 and I am positive that together we can deliver on these targets.’’

The programs, the district and its partners will be engaged in; Community Economic Empowerment, Oil Palm, Development Infrastructure Maintenance and Development, Law and Order, Service Delivery – Education, Health and District & LLG Administration Leadership and Good governance People, Welfare & Social (Cross – cutting) issues Town Developments District Electoral Boundary Review.

The Governor added that these focus areas are consistent with the National Government development priority areas as set out in the Alotau Accord II for the next medium term from 2018 – 2020.

The cost estimate to deliver this plan in the next 5 years is approximately more than PGK 452.36 million. While this amount looks staggering, it is not impossible to deliver, said the Governor.

‘’The amount is inclusive of programs undertaken by the development partners and the National and Provincial Government Agencies. I’ am confident through quality leadership and partnership we will accomplish our mission’’.

‘’ I hope you can appreciate that we strive to achieve in the next five years and where possible we seek your partnership and support in this endeavors.

I now extend my invitation to you all to join me in delivering services and development to our people in Talasea District. ‘’At this juncture I want to acknowledge and thank all our former leaders and development partners for their leadership and support in the development of Talasea district to this day’’.